


context and meaning

by grassangel



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Anniversary, Established Relationship, Gift Giving, Multi, Polyamory, Symbolism, Victorian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 10:06:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5044162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grassangel/pseuds/grassangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the affirmations the Watsons and Holmes give each other in the second year of their relationship</p><p>(or how to reassure your partners in your relationship through gifts)</p>
            </blockquote>





	context and meaning

For the first year anniversary of her marriage to John, Mary buys her husband books. Not many, but two for his work and one that Holmes has recommended that John read.  
She buys sheet music for Holmes, even though she has never seen him play anything on the music stand in his rooms.

For Christmas that year, John returns the favour of buying books for his wife by giving her two volumes of history and a collection of poetry.  
He buys a tobacco case for Holmes, ivy leaves curling around the edges of the lid. 

For Easter, almost two years after the marriage of his dearest friend, Holmes is lavish with his gifts to the Watsons. He makes a show of giving an engraved silver pocket watch, a wreath of familiar three pointed leaves engraved on its case, and a sturdy new doctor’s bag to Watson.  
He is more discreet with his gift to Mary: a brooch of three arrows bound with a diamond ribbon that can be slid into her hair as well as pinned over her heart. The palm-sized box is hidden within the lap desk Holmes presents to Mary, a note tucked into the sliver-capped inkwell giving a clue as to how to open the secret compartment containing it.

**Author's Note:**

> The Victorians had a culture of gift giving amongst those who could afford it. I had wanted to write about the lavish gifts one could get from Cartier and Faberge, but those are probably out of the reach of these three.  
> Most of the gifts have some symbolic meaning though, something which I had fun researching and, in the case of the brooch, had fun combining different symbols.
> 
>   * Mary gives gifts of paper to both Sherlock and John – paper is the traditional gift for the first wedding anniversary.
>   * The ivy on John's gift to Sherlock stands for fidelity and friendship, as well as eternity. Perhaps an unusual choice of design for a tobacco case, but something a jeweller or silversmith could easily engrave on a plain case. The three points to an ivy leaf can also stand for the three of them.  
>  Sherlock returns the message with his Easter gift.
>   * The arrows on Sherlocks gift to Mary are Cupid's arrows of love. The number represents the three of them, while the diamond ribbon means they are bound together forever.
> 



End file.
